Political temperatures have risen ahead of the Vice Presidential election. The BJP has begun to target India Bloc candidate B. Sudarshan Reddy on the issue of Naxalism. Meanwhile, senior party leader and former Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has raised questions about Reddy's 2011 decisions and his public statements.
New Delhi: The political battle between the BJP and opposition parties has intensified ahead of the Vice Presidential election. The BJP has consistently targeted India Bloc's Vice Presidential candidate, B. Sudarshan Reddy, on the issue of Naxalism. Following senior party leader Amit Shah, former Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has also raised questions about Sudarshan Reddy.
Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned Sudarshan Reddy's stance and thinking towards Naxalism, citing the Salwa Judum case from 2011 during the Manmohan Singh government. He stated that Reddy's vision and policy approach in this case are being discussed.
Statement of Ravi Shankar Prasad
Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "I am also a small-time lawyer and have been a Law Minister. I understand the law." He also clarified that his intention is not to oppose any decision, but rather that Sudarshan Reddy's comments were outside the judicial purview. Citing the Salwa Judum case in 2011, Prasad said that Reddy's decisions and comments affected the fight against Maoist violence.
He said that Naxalism will not be eradicated through a neo-liberal approach, and that this is the responsibility of the central and state governments. Ravi Shankar Prasad further said, "The speech you have given is outside the bounds of judicial approach. It is indicative of your thinking and perspective."
What is the 2011 Salwa Judum case?
The then Law Ministry and BJP leaders reacted to Sudarshan Reddy's decision in the Salwa Judum case. Amit Shah also commented that this decision creates difficulty in reducing the outbreak of Maoism. Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "This decision dealt a major blow to the fight against Maoist violence. Today, the same Sudarshan Reddy is the opposition's Vice Presidential candidate. We must understand how important the balance between the judiciary and the executive is."
The political battle between the BJP and the opposition has intensified ahead of the Vice Presidential election. The BJP has consistently raised questions about the India Bloc candidate, while the opposition parties are calling it a political contradiction. Experts believe that Ravi Shankar Prasad's comments not only question Sudarshan Reddy's judicial decision, but also challenge Sudarshan's public approach and policy priorities as part of an electoral strategy.
